Following on from out trip to the zoo, we embarked on the very difficult task of animating a four-legged walk cycle.

This was certainly no easy feat. If two legged cycles weren't difficult enough, here we had an extra two legs, along with the weight and movements that they involved. I found there were so many different parts you needed to be aware of at once. For example, between contact and pass positions the front or rear of the horse would move slightly up or down accordingly. This also impacted the head movement, which would move down when the front was up and vice versa. And then there are the tail and mane to think about!

I gave a basic walk cycle and a trot cycle a go and have included them here below. The cycles certainly aren't perfect, but are convincing enough. They were good practice to get an understanding of the movement, and as with anything, the more practice, the better you'll become. I'm currently working through a four-legged walk going across the page, slightly adjusting the horse character I developed. I've found it good practice to use the same character in these type of exercises, because the design tends to develop alongside the movement, becoming a bit more integrated.